The Freshman Orientation - Book Report/Review Example

Critical Review And Analysis Of The Freshman Orientation Book It is seen that in the American political system there is little knowledge about what goes around in the house itself, principally because nobody ever spoke about it in the first place. It is only the job of the people to get either the Republicans or the Democrats in power and let them rule. Not many discuss the life of the congressman with regard to aspects that do not encompass his political ruling and sheds light on the non-political governance as well. Simply because, it is a common belief that it is not the job of the people to know what goes on in the time between the election and the ruling. The general public is only concerned with how it is ruled and what progress did the Democrats or the Republicans make during that time. The Freshmen orientation: House Style and Home Style is a book by Edward Sidlow in which he writes about the transition phase of a general candidate to a fresh congressman in the house, and how the transition phase is rapid with which the person has to adjust to without saying a word. The writer has discussed the transitional period of the candidates. He writes that conforming to the new role imposed on the person, he has to behave and alter his mind accordingly to the new situation that he is exposed to without further questioning. Sidlow is seen to write about political science and what goes on in the house at political levels. "Freshman Orientation: House style and Home style" is about a newly elected congressman and his insight about how fast life changes for him. It is a topic that not many professors or scholars who teach and study political science actually end up discussing with the audience. It is usually a topic that does not get any mainstream media attention and anyone who wants to be a part of the American congress is not taught about. People usually end up learning from their own experience and what they have gathered throughout. An exploration into a world that is highly new to many people is what the book offers and coming from Sidlow, the authentication does not need much praise. It is an insight from the account of someone who is totally new to the surrounding and has to adjust to whatever the Congress life throws at him. The book is written in plain text which is easy for anyone to understand more like Sidlow wants the reader to have a look at the business that goes on in the Congress through the eyes of Mr. Schwarz. It seems that the book is more of a deep insight that someone gives the reader of their own life rather than a general analysis. Congressman Schwarz plays an important role in the book and it is gathered that most of the book is based on his own personal accounts with life in the Whitehouse. Mr. Schwarz as quoted by Sidlow is an excellent example to get insight on the congress life. The book begins by the introduction of the reader to the seventh congressional district and sets the mood for a political battle that is election time. The initial discussion is of the election period during which the campaigning is done. It is seen that the book talks about internet campaigning as well where both the Democrats and the Republicans are trying to put each other down while trying to raise the bar for themselves. The election campaigning is a rigorous procedure which involves not only good debates but a firm ground giving the audience a wide view of why one should vote for the candidate. The book gives an insight on the election campaign and how everything works during the election season when the candidate is yet to be elected. Once a candidate gets elected and wins the majority vote of the audience, the steps following that are not known by many. It is seen that this question regarding the immediate period after the election victory is not asked by many people. This time period does include changes ranging from the lifestyle of a person to a change in thinking. Sidlow talks about how life from the home shifts to a life as a Congressman who has to survive in the game then. The two living styles and thinking mentality are different and many people have to adjust to it on a rapid basis. It is seen that the author of the book specifically talks about lobby formation that is connected with the geographical regions of the people and hints out to the relationship of congress office with the seniority of the congressman. Lobby formation is an important aspect of being in the house where people mostly form alliances based on geo political reasons. Schwartz pointed the alliances of Washington DC and Illinois. His back and forth travel between his hometown and the official house played a vital role in the formation of alliances and although he did not win the second term election, there were strikingly similar viewpoints that one could not escape from when making a comparison between the two. Alliances are formed with people with whom one can relate with for beneficial grounds. The second thing he talked about was how the office in the Congress is mainly linked with the seniority level of the congressman and thus, making it hard for the fresh candidates to adjust and acquire a position. It is frustrating and yet astounding at the same time to see the senior Congress people act the way they do and claim territory making it hard for the others to adjust or find good offices in the building. Instead of making them feel comfortable, the aim is to make it highly stressful for the people to adjust in the surrounding as put in the book by Congress person Schwarz and how he faced trouble during the time of adjusting to the surrounding. What is more stressful is the travel and the issues of maintaining a working staff. Taxpayer money and accountability are also two factors discussed making it hard for the Congressmen to survive in the game of politics. Sidlow talks about the non-political lifestyle of the Congressman and the situation through which a person who is new in Washington DC has to go through in order to carve a place in the area and then maintaining that space. One thing that the books offers, is a good discussion and insight on the life of a Congressman which might help young people who want to join politics. It is more like a discussion where the author has tried keeping it plain and simple with no fancy terminologies used. It is easy to understand for people who have no background in political science as well so on the grounds of writing and conveying the message to the audience, Sidlow did a commendable job. For someone who does not resonate with the science and working of congress and has no political background knowledge in the subject, this book does prove to be a vital insight from a much human perspective making is highly easy to understand. What is seen in the book is an engagement of the author with the reader giving him details that an undergraduate would want to know or something that nobody talks about but wants to know. In short, the reader can see an outlook of the life between the election campaigning and the ruling which not many people discuss so openly on public forums in the first place. Sidlow also talks about the expectations of new people joining the Congress. He elaborates on how getting a house manual on the first day, which is a mind boggling lengthy paper discussing house rules and regulations, proves many congressmen wrong of the life they had expected to have. It is seen that many people then do not fit in the category because the expectations are not met with. Schwartz is one such refined example and there are many others quoted by Sidlow, which give an account of the time when the expectations do not meet with the reality and this results in a mixture of disappointment. This is accompanied with having to keep up with whatever is thrown at the new candidate. This is a very important perspective of socialization as well as when expectations do not meet the reality, then how does one cope with the circumstances while having to appear mentally composed as well. Not losing temper and dealing with the problems is one such issue that Sidlow discusses as an important point in the lives of a Congressman. It is a society where news travels fast and one has to be fully composed or appear to be fully composed in order to meet the requirements of the job. It is true that a sudden change can be very disturbing to the mental health of an individual and it takes time to actually be okay with ones surrounding. Joining the Congress does not give one the proper opportunity and the sudden changes can be disturbing to the people. A semiotic analysis on the book cover and title does give the reader a bit of an idea what is in store for them to read. Freshman being on the title page hints out what the book is about along with pictures of renowned people from the Congress, pointing out that it a guide for many who want to be a part of the Congress. Schwartz in the list is also a giveaway as to what is in store for the readers. It is both perfectly structured and points out at all the new things that a freshman in college or high school would experience. This means that along with the enthusiasm and happiness of something new there will always be a deep lingering fear which points in the opposite direction of how things will go down. In conclusion, the book talks about the life of someone who is totally new to the life and style of Congress. It sheds light on the issue of role adjustment and how frustrating it can be for an individual to adjust to the surrounding and not show the frustration that they are going through in the first place. Role changes this rapid are very stressful and one has to do the job while not cracking under pressure which gives it a more stressful vibe. For anyone who wants to take up political science or a study of Congress, this books serves as a perfect piece of bringing the proper insight to the audience. It also highlights the points of how alliance formation and being a part of the group is necessary for survival in the White House and the Congress. The book signifies what many authors of political science do not dare talk about because feelings differ here on grounds and many people do not indulge in the private mental ability or what the person himself is going through. It also does point out how a rapid transition is capable of causing more stress which does hinder the ability of the person to perform well and many people breakdown under pressure. Read More